A MONUMENTAL AND HIGHLY IMPRESSIVE LINGBI SCHOLAR’S ROCK, QING DYNASTY


Expert’s note
: Ranked first among the four types of the famous Chinese Scholar’s Rocks, Lingbi are mostly carved from calcite and other ancient types of limestone. They originate from Lingbi county in Anhui Province and are fine-grained and delicately textured, found lying deep in the red mud of the Qingshi mountains. Naturally shaped, they need almost no cutting or carving. Depleted after generations of mining, large high-quality Lingbi such as the present lot are now exceedingly rare. Their mineral composition is such that they produce a metallic, distinct sound when tapped. Hence, they are also called ‘resonant rocks’ (bayinshi). Combining masculine beauty with antique simplicity, Lingbi have been admired by connoisseurs for centuries. In the Northern Song dynasty, Emperor Huizong wrote about a Lingbi in his collection: “The mountain is high while the moon looks small, the water ebbs and the rock juts forth.”

China, 1644-1912. The perforated vertical rock is evocative of a sinuous human figure in profile, with protrusions, stalactite-like extensions, deep crevices, and cavities. The porous stone is of a distinctly black tone suffused by distinct gray veins.


Provenance:
New York trade. Acquired from a private estate.

Condition:
The stone with minor dents, small losses and associated old repairs, few nicks, and natural inclusions and fissures, some of which have developed into small cracks over time. Signs of extensive weathering, erosion and wear, naturally grown patina overall. The wood base with expected minor age cracks and light surface scratches. Overall displaying magnificently!

Weight: 46 kg (excl. stand) and 48 kg (incl. stand)
Dimensions: Height 82 cm (excl. stand) and 96 cm (incl. stand)

With a modern wood stand. (2)


Traditionally, scholars collected
two types of rocks for their studies: vertical peaks and horizontal mountain ranges. The present piece has primarily vertical peaks with cavities resembling cave topography. Hence, one can appreciate its inner and outer form. In texture and color, the stone is like black lacquer and is quite lustrous.


Connoisseurs of scholar's rocks throughout the ages
have boiled down their criteria for evaluating stones into twelve terms: thin, wrinkled, porous, permeable, clear, ugly, obtuse, clumsy, teal, powerful, beautiful, deep. Stones that have half of these features are considered rare and superior.


Literature comparison:

Compare a related black scholar’s rock, 46.7 cm high, dated to the Qing dynasty, in the Metropolitan Museum of Art, accession number 2009512.1a, b, exhibited in the ‘The World of Scholars' Rocks: Gardens, Studios, and Paintings,’ February 1-August 20, 2000 and in the ‘Noble Virtues: Nature as Symbol in Chinese Art,’ September 10, 2022-January 29, 2023.


Auction result comparison:


Type: Closely related
Auction: Christie’s New York, 24 September 2021, lot 1007
Price: USD 62,500 or approx.
EUR 66,000
converted and adjusted for inflation at the time of writing
Description: A lingbi scholar's rock
Expert remark: Compare the closely related form and similar stand. Note the much smaller size (44.5 cm).


Auction result comparison:

Type: Related
Auction: Sotheby’s Hong Kong, 8 April 2011, lot 3302
Price: HKD 2,660,00 or approx.
EUR
430,000
converted and adjusted for inflation at the time of writing
Description: A black ‘lingbi’ scholar’s rock, Qing dynasty, 18th century
Expert remark: Note the similar reticulations and veins of the rock. Also note the similar stand.




清代靈璧石供石


中國，1644-1912年。依靈璧石的天然造型而成，造型奇巧，體態夭矯，肖形狀物，妙趣天成。深灰色紋理，帶有黑色的斑塊。


專家注釋：
靈璧石位居中國四大名岩之首，原產於安徽省靈璧縣，質地細膩，自然成型。歷經幾代開採，優質靈璧已稀少。有的靈璧石在敲擊時會產生金屬的、獨特的聲音。因此，它們也被稱為“八音石”。靈璧兼具陽剛之美和古樸質感，幾個世紀以來一直為鑑賞家所推崇。北宋徽宗在《靈璧》中寫道：“山高月小，水落石出”。


來源：
紐約古玩交易，購於一個私人舊藏。

品相：
石頭上有輕微凹痕、小缺損和修復、少量刻痕以及天然內沁和裂縫，大面積風化、侵蝕和磨損，整體自然包漿良好。木質底座具有輕微老化裂紋和表面劃痕。

重量：46 公斤 (不含底座) 與48 公斤(含底座)
尺寸：高82 釐米 (不含底座) 與 96 釐米 (含底座)

現代木製底座 (2)


造型奇特
，天然成趣，獨一無二，色澤如黑漆。


文獻比較：

比較一件相近的清代黑色靈璧賞石，高46.7 釐米，收藏於明尼亞波利斯藝術博物館，館藏編號2009512.1a，b，見《The World of Scholars' Rocks: Gardens，Studios，and Paintings》，2000年2月1日至8月20日，也見《Noble Virtues: Nature as Symbol in Chinese Art》，2022年9月 10日 -2023年1月 29日。


拍賣結果比較：

形制：非常相近
拍賣：紐約佳士得，2021年9月24日，lot 1007
價格：USD 62,500（相當於今日
EUR 66,000
）
描述：靈璧賞石
專家評論：比較非常相近的外形和相似的底座。請注意尺寸小許多 (44.5 釐米)。


拍賣結果比較：

形制：相近
拍賣：香港蘇富比，2011年4月8日，lot 3302
價格：HKD 2,660,00（相當於今日
EUR 430,000
）
描述：十八世紀清代黑靈璧賞石
專家評論：請注意相似的岩石的網狀結構、紋理和底座。